Women's Rights are Human Rights

Women's rights are an essential component of universal human rights.

They reflect the fact that men and women have very different experiences - and the fact that women and girls often face gender-based discrimination that puts them at increased risk of poverty, violence, ill health and a poor education. Amnesty International's women's rights work encompasses a range of human rights as they relate to the equity needs of women, working at once to advance new rights and opportunities for all women and to combat the abuses of specific groups of women and girls.

Women's Rights are Human Rights

Women's rights are an essential component of universal human rights.

They reflect the fact that men and women have very different experiences - and the fact that women and girls often face gender-based discrimination that puts them at increased risk of poverty, violence, ill health and a poor education. Amnesty International's women's rights work encompasses a range of human rights as they relate to the equity needs of women, working at once to advance new rights and opportunities for all women and to combat the abuses of specific groups of women and girls.

From working to improve maternal health and sexual and reproductive rights, to advocating for girls' opportunities to access to a safe, high-quality education, to highlighting the vulnerabilities women face in war and the value they add to sustainable peace, Amnesty International addresses the rights of all women and girls, in the USA and around the world. Join us! To receive updates and action alerts specific to women's rights, please email whr@aiusa.org to be added to the Women's Human Rights Network email list, or follow us on Facebook.

By Amal Habani, Winner of Amnesty International USA’s 2015 Ginetta Sagan Award In July 2009 when my colleague was arrested and tried for wearing trousers in Khartoum, I could no longer stay silent. Wo...

How bad is the human rights situation in Nigeria? Pretty shocking. Boko Haram’s bloody onslaught in north-east Nigeria and the military’s heavy-handed response has killed thousands of civilians and fo...

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Sierra Leone: Pregnant Girls' Right to Education at Risk (UA 71/15)

According to credible reports, the Sierra Leonean government is considering putting in place a policy that would exclude pregnant girls from taking crucial exams and attending school. If implemented, this discriminatory policy would violate girls’ fundamental right to education.